I'm surprised someone hasn't put a White House petition for this. I mean aren't we supposed to decide how this country is going? I'm sure 5-10 million signatures could be EASILY gathered with something like that.

It is true. NASA's research and data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space telescope, has been instrumental in my calculation of Jesus's (Jesus of the Bible) ascension trajectory to Heaven and thus my narrowing of the location of Heaven. You see, given what we know to be true (Acts 1:1-11):

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven..

From this, we can calculate the earths galactic alignment value of HIS position 2000 yrs ago, is estimated based upon geometric-based methods or using selected astronomical objects or the solar apex, or the direction that the Sun travels through space in the Milky Way, we can determine that Heaven is roughly located (currently) 8.5 within a sphere with a radius of 15 parsecs (49 ly) from the N. Sagitarian Arm!

LOL Interestingly, in 1985, had Jesus ascended from Sydney, Australia to Heaven, he would have had to pass through the center of the earth.

vactech:It is true. NASA's research and data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space telescope, has been instrumental in my calculation of Jesus's (Jesus of the Bible) ascension trajectory to Heaven and thus my narrowing of the location of Heaven.

ajgeek:I'm surprised someone hasn't put a White House petition for this. I mean aren't we supposed to decide how this country is going? I'm sure 5-10 million signatures could be EASILY gathered with something like that.

pkellmey:vactech: It is true. NASA's research and data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space telescope, has been instrumental in my calculation of Jesus's (Jesus of the Bible) ascension trajectory to Heaven and thus my narrowing of the location of Heaven.

You mean DARPA?

I worked on that project also. It started of as a way to reconcile the various God/Jesus mythologies with the Star Trek character Q of Star Trek lore.

I think, to be honest, we need lots of science funding at all levels. That includes NASA in a big way, but it also includes the NSF, NIH, DARPA, etc. Pay scientists better, and more brighter people will do it. The bulk of the science done through government funding is executed by graduate students, and we get paid jack squat comparatively.

I'm currently a graduate student, and I can tell you that we make just enough to feel bad for poor people, but not enough to have that much luxury, especially if you're looking towards a house and kids in the near future. I make about $24,000 per year after taxes. I could go into industry, make half the mental effort, and make 2-3 times that easily.

Fubini:I'm currently a graduate student, and I can tell you that we make just enough to feel bad for poor people, but not enough to have that much luxury, especially if you're looking towards a house and kids in the near future. I make about $24,000 per year after taxes. I could go into industry, make half the mental effort, and make 2-3 times that easily.

SineSwiper:Fubini: I'm currently a graduate student, and I can tell you that we make just enough to feel bad for poor people, but not enough to have that much luxury, especially if you're looking towards a house and kids in the near future. I make about $24,000 per year after taxes. I could go into industry, make half the mental effort, and make 2-3 times that easily.

$24k is barely above minimum wage.

The problems are usually not the expenses of a family, it is the rent/mortgage and the expenses on top of that. If you can find a place with very reasonable housing costs, and you don't go crazy with entertainment like wanting cable and groceries, it can be done. Just don't be envious of the debt that other people live in to make life more comfortable.

SineSwiper:Fubini: I'm currently a graduate student, and I can tell you that we make just enough to feel bad for poor people, but not enough to have that much luxury, especially if you're looking towards a house and kids in the near future. I make about $24,000 per year after taxes. I could go into industry, make half the mental effort, and make 2-3 times that easily.

$24k is barely above minimum wage.

And that's what we pay a huge portion of our scientific workforce. Actually, it's pretty survivable if you're willing to live simply.

That leaves about $250 a month for incidentals and entertainments. It's enough to go out to eat and do a few fun things. We just bought a TV and a food processor, both of which were short term savings projects. We share a single vehicle, and we won't get rid of it until the day it completely dies.

We are extraordinarily fortunate though. The vehicle was a gift from my grandfather about 4 years ago, and we were both able to graduate debt free. If we had a car payment and student loans we'd be totally unable to do long term savings much if at all.

Going the high-science route is a big personal sacrifice. But at the end of it I'll have a doctorate and hopefully better financial times ahead. The missus actually just found a job a few months ago and we'll be able to start doing some serious house saving.

pkellmey:Just don't be envious of the debt that other people live in to make life more comfortable.

That is a huge life lesson, actually. All your friends who have the fancy cars and new computers and are at the least not doing any saving. It's a hell of a lot more satisfying to have a 50% house down payment than it is to eat out every night.

Fubini:That leaves about $250 a month for incidentals and entertainments. It's enough to go out to eat and do a few fun things. We just bought a TV and a food processor, both of which were short term savings projects. We share a single vehicle, and we won't get rid of it until the day it completely dies.

Just because you can survive on that doesn't mean its enough. Those savings can disappear in the case of an emergency that insurance won't fully cover. And you said it yourself, you've had the gift of a car and no undergraduate debt. The promise of a better job years down the road isn't enough to justify the low pay and near-abusive workloads.

Nebulious:The promise of a better job years down the road isn't enough to justify the low pay and near-abusive workloads.

If I felt I was being used in an abusive relationship I wouldn't stick around. I'm aware that in certain branches of science there are far more graduates than there are graduate level positions, and that the nature of their work requires them to sacrifice a lot more than I do, and I don't think I'd have the stomach for that.

Fubini:SineSwiper: Fubini: I'm currently a graduate student, and I can tell you that we make just enough to feel bad for poor people, but not enough to have that much luxury, especially if you're looking towards a house and kids in the near future. I make about $24,000 per year after taxes. I could go into industry, make half the mental effort, and make 2-3 times that easily.

$24k is barely above minimum wage.

And that's what we pay a huge portion of our scientific workforce. Actually, it's pretty survivable if you're willing to live simply.

That leaves about $250 a month for incidentals and entertainments. It's enough to go out to eat and do a few fun things. We just bought a TV and a food processor, both of which were short term savings projects. We share a single vehicle, and we won't get rid of it until the day it completely dies.

We are extraordinarily fortunate though. The vehicle was a gift from my grandfather about 4 years ago, and we were both able to graduate debt free. If we had a car payment and student loans we'd be totally unable to do long term savings much if at all.

Going the high-science route is a big personal sacrifice. But at the end of it I'll have a doctorate and hopefully better financial times ahead. The missus actually just found a job a few months ago and we'll be able to start doing some serious house saving.

Been there, done that. You won't get rich, but it gets much better after the defence. Well, it gets much better after the postdoc, at least. Good luck with the rest of your time.

Can`t wait for Quantum Apostrophe to come into the thread, dismiss all the tech in TFA, make some idiotic comment about 3D printing and then get his ass handed to him by simply asking "What life extension is happening beyond curing illness, eating well and staying healthy(which are not extension?"